shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileBelgium

in the old centre of Brussels, a short walk from the Grand Place

Manneken Pis

— — a small bronze boy, doing what he has done for four centuries.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“A bronze fountain figure barely 61 centimetres tall, set into a corner niche where the Rue de l'Étuve meets the Rue du Chêne, a few minutes' walk from the Grand Place. Cast in 1619 by the Brussels sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder. The city keeps him a wardrobe of more than a thousand costumes; he changes outfits several times a week, by published schedule.

from the studio

— bring it home

Manneken Pis, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Manneken Pis

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

Manneken Pis stands on the corner of Rue de l'Étuve and Rue du Chêne in the lower city of Brussels, two short blocks southwest of the Grand Place. The statue itself is small, 61 centimetres of bronze, set into a stone niche above a corner fountain. A version of the fountain has stood here since at least the fifteenth century; the current bronze figure was cast in 1619 by the sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder. The original is now in the Brussels City Museum; a 1965 replica stands on the street.

— informed by Wikipedia

— the year

The figure has a wardrobe. The Friends of Manneken Pis association maintains a collection of more than a thousand costumes, displayed at the GardeRobe MannekenPis museum on the same square. He is dressed and re-dressed several times a week, according to a published calendar, to mark national days of dozens of countries, charitable causes, anniversaries, and the visits of foreign delegations. The schedule is set months in advance and posted at the railings beneath the niche.

— informed by City of Brussels: GardeRobe MannekenPis

— the visit

The fountain stands on the public street and is free to see at any hour. The city centre around it is pedestrianised; the nearest metro stops are Bourse and Gare Centrale, both about five minutes away on foot. Photographs from any angle but straight on are difficult because of the crowd, which is steady from mid-morning to dusk. The Grand Place, the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, and the Église Saint-Nicolas are all within a short walk of the corner.

— informed by Visit Brussels

— where

Belgium · Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region

— position

50.8450° N · 4.3499° E

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

at the lake

Grand Place

central square

1 km NE

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

covered arcade

1 km NE

Jeanneke Pis

fountain figure

Manneken Pis

Grand Place

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

Jeanneke Pis

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Manneken Pis — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

The current bronze figure was cast in 1619 by Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder. A fountain on the same corner is documented from the fifteenth century, so the tradition is at least six hundred years old.

The bronze figure stands 61 centimetres tall, just over two feet. The fountain niche and pedestal lift it to roughly eye level on the street corner, which surprises most first-time visitors.

The dressing tradition began in 1698 with a costume from the Elector of Bavaria. The wardrobe has grown ever since; more than a thousand costumes are now held by the city and the Friends of Manneken Pis.

The 1619 original is held in the Brussels City Museum on the Grand Place. The figure on the street corner has been a faithful replica since 1965, installed after the original was damaged in repeated thefts.

Yes. Jeanneke Pis, a female counterpart, was added in 1987 in an alleyway off the Rue des Bouchers. Zinneke Pis, a dog, was installed in 1998 on the Rue des Chartreux. The three are unofficial cousins.

— about the piece in your home

It travels well for Bruxellois in the diaspora and for anyone whose family roots run to the city. A Keepsake or Small with a handwritten note from the studio carries the old quarter in a way a postcard cannot.

The cool stone palette and old-city texture settle into European-eclectic, Maximalist, and warm Traditional interiors. It also reads well in a small gallery wall of city pieces alongside other vistas.

For a small subject like this, the Medium often reads better than the Large, keeping the intimate scale of the original. Above a wide sofa, a four-tile Mural enlarges the niche without overwhelming the subject.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any wet or steamy room. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, so humidity does not affect the work.

A soft microfibre cloth, dry or lightly damp with water. No abrasive pads, no household chemicals. The surface is hard-wearing and the colour lives in the ceramic itself.

— if this one stayed with you

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